A computer desktop (“desktop” for brevity) is software that controls the placement and appearance of windows within a windowing system in a graphical user interface. Most typically, images rendered by the desktop are controlled by a graphics device interface (gdi) that interfaces to an output device such as a monitor or printer. Among other things, the gdi defines the output format of pixels rendered via the desktop to a particular format, for example, a format of 8 bits per pixel RGBA.
Such an arrangement in which the gdi defines a particular pixel output format for all pixels is not optimal, as the desktop is capable of storing pixel content of differing color depths including enhanced pixel formats, which could be rendered on a monitor compatible with such formats. Unfortunately, conventional desktops do not provide the flexibility of rendering images at differing color depths, as the desktop's gdi limits the pixel output format to one particular format.
Accordingly, what is needed is system and method which enables selection of different pixel output formats.